U-boat Archive - U-255 5th War Patrol

B L O T T E R E X E R P T " U 255 "

24.02.43
12.35	1156/750
		Position 11.40 hours square 6932. Radio Bearing 306°, 446 KHz, Identifier E 1 K 1, SW 4, Sea 5, 3/10, Vis. clear.
		- Reche -

25.02.43
03.59	0329/773
		03.00 hours convoy Anton Broun 4269 lower-left. Course 80°. Detection 140 cm, horizontally polarized. SSW 5, Sea 4.
		- Reche -
04.43	0430
		Convoy AC 4346, course 80°.
		- Reche -

0731	0700/774
		Convoy AC 4355, course 90°, WSW 5, Sea 4, high Swell, overcast, clouds 500 meters, Vis. clear.
		- Reche -

07.55	ßß
		Have contact on convoy.
		- U-657 -

08.33	0808/776	Convoy square 4365, course 90°, cloudy 2 lifting, abating, Vis. 25 nm. Aircraft.
		- Reche -

22.47	ßß
		My position is AC 5644.
		- U-255 -

26.02.45
01.22	0035/797
		Position 5657. Light rockets and depth charges in 90°T, radar detection.
		- Reche -

02.10	0132/800
		Have contact on aft screen square 5658.
		- Reche -

03.40	0310/704
		Convoy AC 5697, speed 9 knots, course southeast. NW 3, Sea 2, overcast, Vis. 5 nm.
		- Reche -

05.11	0445/705
		Convoy AC 5935, course 140°.
		- Reche -

Click the flag to view the above page from the original German KTB

- 2 -

06.41	0604/707
		Contact lost after unsuccessful attack in driving snow. Convoy located 05.00 hours AC 5939, southerly course.
		- Reche -

07.40	0709/710
		Convoy square 6747, course 280°, Ice formation to the SE. Vis. 12 nm, clouds 500 meters.
		- Reche -

08.59	0832/711
		Convoy located AC 6774, course south, aircraft. Wind calm, medium Swell, cloudy 6/10, 500 meters high. Snow showers. Vis. 20 nm.
		- Reche -

15.10	1427/719
		13.24 hours in AC 8363 last contact with escort. Forced off. Vis. 6 nm.
		- Reche -

16.30	1604/722
		Position AC 8393. Small sound band in 255°T. Driving snow, Vis. 3 nm.
		- Reche -

22.10	2110/733	Position AC 8652, sound band from 165 to 175, shifts to the south. Driving snow.
		- Reche -

27.02.43
01.33	0045/739
		Position AC 8691. Was detected by a locating destroyer. Moving off to the north for 10 hours for repairs to a lubricating oil pump and thereby failure of the starboard diesel.
		- Reche -

02.03.43
06.24	0550/724
		Convoy square 8625, course northeast.
		- Reche -

08.30	0717/726
		Convoy square 8389, course 40°, speed 9 knots. 3 escorts to starboard. Crash dived for 2 land-based aircraft. N 3, Vis. 8 nm, clouds 700 meters, overcast.

09.56	0925/727
		Since report at 07.17 hours no contact. Position square 9171, Vis. 5 nm.
		- Reche -

13.11	1240/731
		Smoke clouds in square 9117. N 4, breaking up, Vis. 8 nm, 992 mb.
		- Reche -

14.10	1325/734
		Have contact on port forward escort square 9111, general course 25°.
		- Reche -

- 3 -

14.49	1415/735
		Position square 6772 in light ice field. Convoy lost in the mist. Met Queck.
		- Reche -

19.03	ßß
		My position is AC 5961, large icefield in square.
		- U-255 -

04.03.43
06.37	0615
		Smoke clouds in square 4243, course west. NE 2, Cumulus clouds 1000 meters, Vis. 20 nm. Sending bearing signals.
		- Reche -

07.58	0745
		Convoy square 4241, course west, speed 8 knots, Vis. 10 nm.
		- Reche -

09.51	0930/775
		Convoy by plotting square 4162. Vis. 5 nm, freezing mist, NNE 3, freshening.
		- Reche -

15.16	1430/781
		Convoy square 4145, course 270°, speed 8 knots. Attack failed. NNW 4, overcast 8/10, 1012 mb, freezing mist.
		- Reche -

17.31	1630/785
		Convoy AB 6383. Suspect southwest course.
		- Reche -

18.25	1800/789
		Convoy AB 6382. Was forced off.
		- Reche -

05.03.43
00.55	0036/794
		23.15 hours contact on 2 destroyers in square 6556. Position square 6581, Vis. greatly changing.
		- Reche -

03.34	0245/702
		Position square 6577, sound band around 25°T.
		- Reche -

07.29	0658/703
		Convoy AB 6713, course southwest, 8 knots, NE 2, Stratus, 1000 meters, Vis. 30 nm.
		- Reche -

12.37	1150/710
		09.26 hours AB 5939 each one hit on 2 medium freighters. Sinking sounds heard.
		- Reche -

- 4 -

15.20	1430/717
		When surfacing a burning freighter 6000 GRT sunk. A second sinking location "EXECUTIVE" New York determined. E 6, driving snow, Vis. 10 nm
		- Reche -

22.25	2104/724
		Square 8231 two destroyers. Suspect stern screen.
		- Reche -

06.03.43
05.49	0507/731
		04.08 hours from square 8159 sound band around 70°T. SE 7, Sea 5, 994 mb, rain, Vis. low.
		- Reche -

16.50	1530/741
		1) Position AB 7661. Cannot reach new disposition against heavy seas before tomorrow at 18.00 hours. SW 9, Sea 8, Vis. 12 nm.
		2) Question any reports received on the steamer we sunk today.
		- Reche -

18.38	1759/743
		- Reche -
		1) Air contact keeper report 5 March before Luftwaffe attack, sinking of two steamers observed. (Reche).
		2) From Whermacht report steamer was sunk by air.
		- F.d.U. -

07.05.43
16.13	ßß
		My position is square AB 7817.
		- U-255 -

19.25	ww
		70°N, 4°W, rising 992 mb, -2°C, W 7-8, snow, Vis. 10 nm, SW-Swell (high).
		- U-255 -

08.03.43
09.20	0830/776
		Position AE 3211. NNE 4, abating, Sea 2, no Swell, drifting pack ice fields. Believe that last patrol line is favorable.
		- Reche -

09.50	0922/767
		Ice limit square AA 9934, 29, 28 then to the north. Sea 2, 5/10, Vis. good.
		- Bugs -

11.28	1117/768
		From square AA 9928 ice not to the north, extends further to the SW.
		- Bugs -

12.43	1228/782
		7 March 19.00 hours square 8178 independent course 230°, 8 knots escaped.
		- Esch -

- 5 -

15.21	1406/766
		Heavy drift ice west of AE 3212 via 3136 to 96. NNW 4, Sea 3, Vis. 10 nm. Position 3277.
		- Reche -

17.30	1616/769
		1) Drift ice to square 3278.
		2) Suspect main course of the convoy or parts of it 230°.
		3) Until receiving further orders from F.d.U. will occupy patrol line from AE 3582 to 3677, old order. (square corrected with Radio Message 1746)
		- Reche -

18.00	ßß
		My position is square AE 3524.
		- U-255 -

19.53	1746/772
		In Radio Message 1616 must mean from AE 3513 to 3677
		- Reche -

21.11	2028/775
		Position AE 3513
		- Reche -

09.03.43
09.13	0809/789
		Cannot get through the ice in square 3430 at night. Going around to the south. Position 3546.
		- Reche -

12.26	1156/792
		-Göllnitz-
		Request bearing signal Group "F" from 13.00 to 13.30 to check navigation, if there is free water.
		- Reche -

18.19	1738/793
		Up to now cannot get west of square 3452 due to heavy ice fields. Hauling out further south. E 9, Sea 8, driving snow, 973 mb
		- Reche -

10.03.43
15.25	ßß
		One steamer square 2585.
		- U-255 -

11.03.43
20.58	2005/715
		10 March 16.36 hours Anton Emil 2821 heavily armed freighter 7000 GRT torpedoes three-fan, left sinking in two pieces. Call KENZ. Still 1 plus 2 torpedoes.
		- Reche -

13.03.43
07.26	ßß
		Intend to be in Vestfjord at 18.00 hours, request appropriate measures.
		- U-255 -